How Do You Make a Woman Believe She's Beautiful?
by McInstry
Summary: How do you make a woman believe she's beautiful? Under the threat of one Jack Harkness, the Doctor is told to man up and take what is his before someone else does. A series of chapters where a person is at their worst and the other grows into himself.
1. The Beginning

Author's Note: This is a prologue of sorts, so don't fret over the shortness of this chapter. This takes place after 'The Satan Pit' (2.09). Rose and the Doctor go to visit Jack in Cardiff and Jack tells the Doctor to wise up and tell Rose how he feels. Each chapter is a step towards their impending relationship.

Mentions of Torchwood in this chapter, but no real know-how of the show needed. There will probably be about 6 or 7 chapters. Rating may change for the last chapter.

Unbeta'd. Sorry for any mistakes.

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><p><em>How Do You Make a Woman Believe She's Beautiful?<em>

_Chapter 1 – The Beginning_

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><p>It had all started with a visit to Jack in Cardiff.<p>

Rose had been off with Gwen and Tosh, Torchwood 3's female workers. The rather subdued, fantastic tea making Ianto Jones and the brash Owen Harper had joined Jack and the Doctor for a drink. Jack and Owen popped open a few beers while Ianto and the Doctor stuck with tea.

"So, Doctor, how have things been?" The Doctor grimaced at the question and Jack smiled, knowing that the suited man hated domestic talk.

"Just fine." The Doctor said, raising his teacup to his lips and taking a long sip.

"How's Rosie? She looked a bit more… tried than usual."

"She's fine." The Doctor said a bit too quickly. Jack eyed him over the lip of his bottle. They stared at each other, seeing who would break first.

"How is she really?" Jack asked. When it came to Rose, he wanted to know the truth. The blonde girl held a special place in the captain's heart and he found himself worrying about her often.

The Doctor sighed, giving in. "She's shaken up." He put his cup down and fidgeted for a moment. "We got stuck on this planet, Krop Tor, it was called. There was a… a force there that called itself Satan and it said she would die in battle." He paused before breathing in deeply and going on, "I told her it was rubbish. It was a basic mind trick to get her to panic. I can tell she's still a bit worried about it, though."

The Time Lord looked up and was surprised to see that Jack's eyes were angry.

"And you let her worry?" The Doctor frowned in confusion and Jack snorted. "That woman loves you and I _know_ you love her. Why are you sitting around and letting her worry about dying in battle or whatever when you could be, oh, I dunno, comforting her?"

The Doctor clenched his jaw. "I can't, Jack."

Jack, expecting this answer from his friend groaned. "You are a stupid man." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Owen," The dark haired man perked up, wondering why he was being dragged into an obviously private conversation, "Rose is beautiful, is she not?" Owen looked from the Doctor whose jaw was still clenched to Jack whose face was set in determination.

"I suppose, yeah."

"No, don't suppose. What do you really think? Ianto?" Jack pushed.

"I think she's lovely." Ianto supplied politely, knowing that his boss had a penchant for getting in trouble. He just wanted to stay out of this row.

"Yeah, I suppose she is… She's got a great figure and-" Owen was stopped when the Doctor slammed his hand down on the table.

"Have you a point to prove?" The man was obviously trying to keep from raising his voice and lashing out at Jack who stared at the Doctor blankly.

"Yes. My point is that if you don't do something, she _will_ be swept off her feet by someone else. On the outside, she's beautiful. But if some guy got the chance to get to know her, they'd be hooked. And Rose might pick them just because they'd give her the attention she deserves. She's quite a catch, my friend." Jack put down his empty beer glass and reached for another one. "I know she loves you and it's probably hurting her that you don't even bother." The blue-eyed man took a long swig of his drink before going on, "_That _is why you're stupid. Any man would be lucky to have her and I know you want her. Hell, you may even be the only man in the universe who deserves her." Jack fixed the Doctor with a intent stare, "So, stop being stupid. It doesn't suit you."

The Doctor tapped the table with his thumb before looking at Jack. "I can't."

Jack rolled his eyes before sobering up. "Tell her how beautiful she is before someone else does. Because they will."

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><p>The Doctor felt Jack's words weigh heavily on his mind.<p>

There were so many reasons why he shouldn't go _there_ with Rose.

He would see her die, eventually. Knowing her so intimately then watching her die would break his hearts.

But to experience her love and feel her would even out that pain. Wouldn't it?

He threw down a piece of wire and closed his eyes. Why was he actually contemplating this? Rose wasn't meant for him in that way. She was supposed to be his best friend, his confidant, his healer.

Something inside his mind whispered that a lover could be all those things. He groaned and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and took a few deep breaths. The Doctor stood, deciding to give up on his current project of fixing the temporal projector in favor of an hour of sleep.

As he passed Rose's room, he heard the low sound of sobbing. He tensed, wondering if he should enter or not. The door creaked open of its own accord, and the Doctor was left with no choice but to sate his anxiety by entering. The Old Girl wanted him to, anyway.

Rose, his pink-and-yellow human, was entangled in her sheets and there was a thin, shiny sheen of sweat on her skin, causing her hair to stick to her skin. The Doctor bit his lip, a habit he had picked up from Rose, before sitting down on her bed. He cautiously reached out and pushed her hair from her face, letting his cool fingers linger on her heated skin. As if she knew he was there, she moved closer to him until his palm was cradling her cheek. The Doctor's eyes fell closed and his mind calmed as he heard Rose's crying slow.

"Oh, sweet girl. What am I going to do with you?" He asked, knowing he'd receive no answer from her sleeping form.

But really, what was he going to do? Should he make that leap and hope for the best; hope the universe would be kind to them?

He looked down at Rose, huddled under her duvet and now slumbering away calmly.

The answer was yes; yes, he should take that risk.

Because she was so damn beautiful in every aspect and he didn't ever want to have to give her up.


	2. Do You Dance and Nurse Her?

Author's Notes: Here's the second chapter! Enjoy! And this is still unbeta'd, so forgive any errors and feel free to point them out to me. Also, this chapter is dedicated to who_in_whoville over at lj for writing one of the most fantastic stories ever, 'Found and Forgotten'. If you aren't reading it, then what are you still doing here? I'm a bit obsessed with it if you can't tell. So, go read it!

_How Do You Make a Woman Believe She's Beautiful?_

_Chapter 2 – Do You Dance and Nurse Her?_

Admittedly, it wasn't his smartest move ever. But she had looked _so beautiful_ drenched from head to toe in the lavender scented rain.

They'd been on a planet called Nitidus Lymphae where the ocean glowed an iridescent purple color and the rain smelled like flowers. The people were peaceful, and for the first time in a long time, he and Rose hadn't had to run for their lives. Part of him had been disappointed by that but that thought was quashed by the look on Rose's face when it had started to rain.

"It smells amazing!" A bright smile lit up her face and she turned once in the rain, her hands cupped to catch the rain. "Is it okay to drink?" He nodded and she cautiously sipped at the water in her hands.

"The natives use the rainwater for healing because it's the purest water in the whole galaxy. Each region has a specific scented and flavored rain used for different kinds of remedies." He gave her a cheeky smile, "This is where the cure for cancer came from."

"Ooh, I love this planet!" Rose put her hand out and caught more rain which she drank. "It tastes like… rosemary and honey." She cocked her head to the side in amazement.

The Doctor smiled at the look of wonder on her face. _This _was why he travelled now.

Not to see things for himself, but to see the awe on her face. It made being kidnapped, captured, and put in nasty jails worth it. Anything to see those brown eyes twinkle over that bright-as-the-sun smile.

He reached out for her hand and took it in his own, smiling at the difference in the sizes. Her wrists were thin followed by small palms, feminine knuckles, and long fingers with nails varnished in a light violet shade. His own hand swallowed her smaller one. Rose looked up at him in surprise but he didn't return her glance. Instead he raised his other hand and began to trail his fingers up the arm which he held onto. He felt the softness of her wet skin beneath his fingertips and suppressed a shudder. He wondered what that same skin would feel, bare and pressed up against him.

The Doctor shook off that utterly _human _thought and let his fingers continue their trail up her arm. He reached her shoulder where his hand rested for a moment, taking in their height differences just as he had done with her hand.

Owen had been right, Rose had a beautiful figure. She wasn't stick thin and he adored her for it. Her legs were well muscled (thanks to their constant running for their lives) and he loved them. And while he'd never been much of a breast man (at least in other regenerations) he was now. Or at least when it was Rose. Actually, when it came to Rose, he seemed to like a lot of things. He liked her hair (it was soft and he knew for a fact that under that peroxide she was really _auburn_), her smile (it was one of the few things that could bring him up during his lowest lows), and her eyes (they were an odd hazely-brown-yellow color that reflected light in the most perfect way to make it seem as if there were stars in them. Yes, _stars_). Hell, he even liked her hands. After all, they fit perfectly inside his.

All these thoughts of how she was gorgeous floated around in his rather expansive mind and, not for the first time, he wondered why he found it so impossible to tell her how he felt. It wasn't fear of rejection because he knew deep down that she wouldn't refuse him. Maybe it was because he didn't want to ruin them together. It would be selfish.

"Doctor?" She questioned, her head cocked.

Once again, he paid her no heed and went on with his exploration of her. Rose froze when his hand brushed against the outside of her breast, her eyes wide and unblinking. This didn't deter him. His hand went on until it found its final destination – her waist.

Rose looked up at him, waiting to see what would do next.

Finally, he met her eyes as his one hand rested firmly on her waist and the other captured her opposite hand. Her eyes widened as she caught the gist of what he was doing. Nonetheless, she acquiesced and let her hand perch on his shoulder like he had done to her only moments before.

The Doctor stepped in close to her and felt the curve of chest brush against him softly. It took quite a bit of will on his part not to step closer and let their bodies conform to each other. But, it seemed Rose didn't want him to hold back. She pulled him in closer until they melted together seamlessly; her palm curved perfectly into his, her soft breasts against his chest, and her chin against his collarbone. It was like one of their we-made-it-out-alive hugs, only she was close to him and all was calm.

It was as if she belonged there.

The two of them stepped for a bit, both completely at ease in the moment of silence where time, cheesily enough, seemed to stand still. And for the Doctor, it damn well did. The timelines around him weren't fluctuating as they normally did. Instead they were still, as if sensing that the Time Lord needed just a moment of peace where there was no should be-could be-would-be nonsense.

Only peace.

Rose's face nuzzled into his neck and he could feel her hot human breath against his skin. The Doctor turned his head, wanting to see if the tranquility he knew she felt was visible on her face. It was.

Serenity was painted over her countenance and he liked knowing he had put it there. Her eyes were closed and he focused on her face, taking in the small, bluish-purple veins under her eyelids to the soft pink of her cheeks and lips. Her breath brushed against his face and it was heavy with the herbal scent of rosemary and sweet with the taste of honey, just like the rain she had drank. He found himself wanting to see if she tasted like the alien mist, too.

But before he could do anything, she opened her eyes and blinked as she noticed how close their faces were.

Rose cleared her throat and moved back a bit. She laced her fingers through his and tightened her grip on his shoulder, though, as if to tell him she was still there.

"I thought you don't dance," Rose said in a mock accusing tone.

The Doctor's lips tilted up at the corners. "Just seems like the perfect time to."

Her eyebrow quirked, "In the rain?"

"What better time is there?"

She didn't argue, so he took it that she agreed with him. After all, what better time was there to dance with her then when they were on a gorgeous planet where the rain shined in pastel tones and her clothes were sticking to her like a second skin?

There was _no _better time.

The Doctor winced as he heard her sneeze again.

"You'd think out of all those regions they'd have one rainfall that would cure the common cold!" Rose's voice was muffled from under her blanket. At any other time it would've been comical to be talking to a lump of blankets, but now the Doctor was more worried than amused.

"You do have a point." He tugged at his ear. "Some cultures don't even have a 'common cold'. But you do. And you humans, when you find a way to heal things, you go right for the big things. You figure you'll treat cancers and AIDS before solving the good ol' common cold."

It was quite embarrassing really, but he had no cure for the common cold other than some broth and rest. Now if Rose had, say, measles or Raxacoricofallapatorian purple pox, he'd be able to heal her in a jiffy. But not if she had a cold.

"I'm sorry." He said suddenly and Rose poked her head out from under her pile of blankets.

"What for?"

"For having you out in the rain. I forgot how susceptible humans are to temperatures."

"'s not your fault." Rose bit her lip for a moment, looking as if she was deciding to say something. "It was lovely and completely worth gettin sick over." Her eyes didn't meet his and he could see a flush settle over her cheeks that he knew wasn't from her illness.

"I'm glad… But I'm still sorry you're sick." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck.

She waved him off before reaching for her mug of tea. The Doctor got to it first, dipping his pinkie in the liquid to test the temperature. He found it to be a bit hot and blew on it before handing it to her. Rose merely looked at him, bemused.

"There's no milk." She complained.

"Oh, Rose, you know dairy causes stuffiness." She pouted a bit before sighing and taking another sip before setting the mug down on her bedside table. He watched her heavy breathes with curious eyes. He'd never noticed the way her chest rose and fell before… It was kind of hypnotic, really. With the gentle slope of her breasts moving with each inhalation and exhalation, she had him entranced. How had he not seen this sooner?

"You a'right, Doctor?" Rose asked him, her eyes worried. He'd zoned out a bit; just staring at her unseeingly.

The Doctor held back a warm flush and nodded, his hand tugging at his ear nervously. "I'm fine." He paused, "Do you need anything?"

Rose shook her head. "I should be fine with a few hours of sleep."

He stood and was about to leave before he turned around and peered at Rose who was burrowed deep into her blankets. He leaned over, brushed her hair out of her face, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Rose." His sensitive lips took in the heat of her skin before he pulled away and left, keeping her door open in case she needed him during the night.

Because his back was turned, he completely missed the hazy smile of Rose's face.

Maybe there was hope for them after all.


	3. Do You Rescue Her?

Author's Notes: Here's chapter 3. I'm sorry about the wait. Also, if you want to see a visual of the city mentioned in the chapter, go to my profile to find it. This is unbeta'd, so forgive any mistakes. Feel free to point them out to me.

_How Do You Make a Woman Believe She's Beautiful?_

_Chapter 3 – Do You Rescue Her?_

The second he had stepped out of the TARDIS, he'd known something was off about the planet. It wasn't the scenery or the air…

But he had been shoved aside by Rose before he could get back in to leave. She gasped and looked around in wonder.

The planet of Altzairuzko Gizona was beautiful in an odd sort of way. It was covered in sprawling building of steel and the air was heavy and humid. The sky was an orange-brown color and there were four suns high above them along with two moons visible at all hours of the day. Clouds were wispy and layered, allowing smoggy shimmers of red and brown to seep through. Shops were filled with bits for building things and trades. It was a steam-punk sort of world where industrial mixed in with fine Victorian-esque buildings. Sculptures were made of iron and bits and bobs found from old clocks and such. The center of the city was a massive cathedral-like building where train tracks - ones that were a good way above the other buildings - led into. Power lines led from factory to factory; home to home. There were smoke stacks dotted around the city where steam curled into the atmosphere in threads of dark colors. It all looked like something out of an old novel.

The dense feeling of smog surrounded them but Rose didn't seem to mind in the least. In fact, she looked more amazed at the sight of this inner city than she had at the sight of a black hole.

They came across their first native who was tall being with a humanoid body but the head of a bird. Its legs and arms were long and bird-like in texture. From the clothing it wore, it seemed to be a female. She glanced up at them, her bright yellow eyes widening as she took in the sight of them. Those citrine irises flickered to Rose then back to the Doctor. She seemed to stop a moment before hurrying along down the musty alleyway.

The Doctor frowned a bit, wondering what had caused the woman to react to them the way she had. He moved closer to Rose instinctively, wondering if he should've listened to that voice in the back of his mind. The Doctor looked down at his companion and saw that she was already enthralled. Really, who was he to take that look off her face? So he ignored his worry.

As they continued on, the crowd became more and more packed with city-dwellers. Each person was different, their face shapes resembling various birds. Feathers came in every color of the rainbow and shades between. Their clothing was made of a thick burlap material that ranged in shades of browns and maroons and deep blues.

Like any other city, there were the slum areas and that seemed to be where they were located. There were young children running around, playing games with balls like human children did. Adults bustled about, trying to get to work, home, or chasing after their offspring. Birds, actual birds which looked like doves, flew high in the air. Their homes were nestled into the iron work of the train tracks, way above any one person's reach.

"Ooh, Doctor, look at that!" Rose tugged on his arm and pulled him deeper into the city.

A huge fountain lay in front of them and Rose finally stopped pulling him. It was a gargantuan piece of metal work composed mostly of pipes and gears. It towered over their heads and sprayed water from a pipe into another fountain and long ways away.

Rose looked up at him and smiled brightly. "It's amazing!" He nodded and she laid her head on his shoulder for a moment before powering back up and towing him off to the next sight she wanted to see. She pulled him into a few shops before they stopped for a local delicacy of who-knows-what-it-is on a stick.

As the Doctor stood and waited for Rose to finish eating, a loud noise rang from above. He instinctively moved his hand over his head, his eyes narrowing against the suns as he looked upwards.

There was a green smoke in the sky that hadn't been there moments before. He squinted to see what it consisted of. "Rose, what does that look like to you?" He looked down to where she had been and found she wasn't there. The Doctor turned around frantically, his eyes searching for his blonde companion.

She was nowhere to be found.

His hearts started racing faster than normal.

Where had she gone?

Was she hurt?

The Doctor took a deep breath and fisted his shaking hands. He could find her. He'd done it before too many times to be helpless in such a situation.

He found the nearest person and tapped on their shoulder. "Excuse me; you wouldn't have seen where my friend went, would you? She's about yeah tall," He motioned her height with his hands, "and has blonde hair."

"She's foreigner, like you?" the person inquired. The Doctor nodded and he watched as the being's expression grew grim. "I'm sorry, but she's been nabbed."

"By who?" His tone was urgent with ill repressed apprehension.

"The Kanpo-salmenta. They trade aliens for profit. That sound… that was them. They use it as a distraction. She's a female, so they took her instead of you." The being's eyes shifted around to see if anyone was listening in. The alley was empty except for the two of them. "They sell for more." Then the person walked away hastily, obviously not wanting to be seen consorting with a foreigner.

The Doctor's gut tightened. His Rose was to be sold by traders. And if there was one thing he knew about traders, it was that they were ruthless and showed no compassion to their spoils.

'_Well_,' the Doctor though bitterly, _'that explains the looks we'd gotten earlier.'_

The people had wanted them to leave, not because they themselves were uncomfortable, but because they knew what would happen to Rose.

He looked around, wondering why no one had told him about these traders. And all he saw were tired, impoverished people who stayed to their own business. He found that he couldn't blame them for trying to protect themselves.

The Doctor walked quickly into the main street which was flooded with people of all sizes, colors, and species. He grabbed the first person who bumped into him.

"Do you know where I can find the Kanpo-salmenta?"

The person's eyes widened and they pulled away promptly. The Doctor's grasp stayed tight on their arm. "Please, my friend has been taken. I need to find her." His desperation overflowed, making his voice crack. He had no idea what he'd do if she was dead or lost forever. He didn't even want to think about that. The idea was horrifying and made his gut clench unpleasantly.

"There's a church at the city's edge to the west." That was all the person said before he pulled away from the Doctor and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could, spindly limbs sprawling awkwardly.

The Doctor headed to the west, his legs breaking into a sprint. The suns, all four of them, were setting in different directions.

Precious time was passing.

It took him at least two hours to get to the edge of the city. While he'd wished he could take the TARDIS, he knew it was impossible. He could end up in the wrong time and miss Rose completely. He wasn't going to allow that to happen.

Once he reached the unpopulated outskirts, the Doctor found that his breathing was labored, his hands shaking, and the suns had disappeared completely. His eyes, superior in their sight, were able to pick out a church located right on the outskirts of the city. He took a moment to level his breathing and check to make sure he had his sonic screwdriver.

And he went in.

The scent of mold and must hung heavy in the air. Particles of dust danced around in the candle light. The walls were a muted white which was dirtied by grime and aged by time. Stones from the walls lay on the ground and he made careful not to trip over any of them, lest he alert the traders of his presence.

When he heard a scream, the Doctor felt his insides freeze up. Then he relaxed, realizing that it wasn't Rose. But still, the person sounded in pain and he was never one to just stand by and let people suffer when he could help.

The Doctor tested the bottom stair for creaking. There was none. That was surprising for building of its age… No matter, better for him. He headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and stopped at a door just to the right of the staircase. He could hear whimpers coming from within and resisted the urge to just burst in.

Rose was at stake. This was no time to be irrational.

The Doctor stood with his ear against the door for a moment before he took out a stethoscope and pressed it to the thick wooden ingress. The voices became clear.

"_Oh, shut up! Stop your whining!" _

There was the sound of a resounding slap which made the Doctor wince. He hoped to Rassilon that Rose hadn't been on the receiving end of that blow.

"_Oi, you leave her alone!" _

Now that voice he knew well. It was Rose, protecting someone. He felt pride well up inside his chest. She was selfless to a fault, always trying to make others better and putting other people before herself.

"_We'll do whatever we want, yellow human." _There was a sniffling sound before one of the captors shouted, "_QUIET!" _Whoever was in there had a very deep voice that resonated against his stethoscope a loud, slow bell.

Bells… Bell _tower._ He _was_ in a church after all. It was a universal thing; bell towers in churches.

And his mind went a light year-a-minute. The Doctor looked upwards and saw a massive bell high above his head. He pressed the stethoscope back against the door, listening for when the best time for a distraction would be.

"_Yeah, well she's 'ardly gonna be quiet when you've 'urt her so badly!" _The Doctor smiled to himself. She was so bossy sometimes.

"_We did the same to you and yet you do not whimper like a child."_And his hearts froze. What had they done to her? The Doctor forced himself to breath; he could worry about it once he had her back.

"_Yeah, well, she's pregnant. Of course she's gonna cry!" _The Doctor heard nonsensical cooing sounds from Rose and the spluttering of a woman.

It was time to get her out of there before her cheekiness got her killed.

He looked up at the bell and took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. If he got the trajectory just right, the bell should fall just on the other side of the church, far enough away from Rose and the other captive(s) to do them no harm. The rope unfurled slowly and there was a whistling noise as the heavy iron object fell through the stale air. The resounding crash made him wince a bit. He could hear the shocked gasps and two traders run out of the room from another door to see what had happened. He then listened to see if there were any additional guards.

"_Shh. There, there, Delilah. I have a friend and I know he's coming to get me. In fact, that loud noise was probably him." _Rose's tone was a bit wry and, for what wasn't the first time, he was shocked by her blatant trust in him. She had absolutely no doubt that he would save her. And that was just the push he needed to open the door. Rose was huddled against a tiny dark woman who was curled up in a ball with her hands on her stomach. There were a few people in corners with chains on their arms, knocked out. There were two alien carcasses thrown off to the side, the putrid scent of rotting flesh tickling his nose.

"Rose." He whispered.

She looked up and smiled a slightly pained smile. "See, I told you he was coming!" Rose shook the shoulder of the woman, Delilah. Delilah looked at him in fear.

The Doctor took a step back and held up his hands in a nonthreatening manner. Rose stood awkwardly and that was when he noticed that she wasn't wearing the same clothes as before. In fact, all the captives were wearing the same outfit of mud colored shorts and a large white t-shirt that looked as if it came from the clearance bin from hell.

The Doctor's eyes followed her form, concerned about what injuries she had sustained. He watched her shift uncomfortably. He inched closer and saw there was a large red mark on the inside of Rose's thigh which was inflamed with congealed blood. It looked mysteriously like a 'V' with interlocking loops around it, the universal sign for a prostitute or a sex slave. The Doctor's jaw locked and he looked up to meet her eyes. From the way she eyed the mark contemptuously, he could tell she knew what it meant. Her understanding was there, just beyond the faux-calmness and very real fear and pain.

She shook her head, signifying that they'd deal with it later.

"Doctor, we have to get them out of here." Rose motioned to Delilah who sat at her feet like a child, and the other women who were knocked out and slumbering amongst the dead. He nodded and took off his coat and handed it to her. With the suns set, the air had a distinct chill to it. As he looked closer, the Doctor could see ice latching onto the dust particles.

Rose slipped her arms into his coat and he breathed in before helping Delilah up. He then shed his suit jacket and handed it to the pregnant woman who looked at him gratefully. He smiled absently then knelt down to check the pulses of the other three women. They were out cold, but still healthy enough.

"Doctor, they've been trying to teleport us to their ship. We managed to keep them talking so they couldn't." Rose motioned with her hand towards the flat slate-like slab with blue wires running over it. "I guess they thought we'd be too stupid to re-route it." She looked at him pointedly and he got out his screwdriver and set to work pulling out wires and reattaching others. He didn't ramble on as he usually did when he did technical work. This was not the time to do so.

His tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he worked hastily. He had no idea when the traders would be back. The Doctor let out an 'aha!' and used his sonic screwdriver to check if the newly tuned teleporter was stable.

It was.

"Delilah, I've set the coordinates for the hospital. They'll take care of you, okay?" The woman nodded and handed him his jacket back before stepping onto the slate. She glowed blue before disappearing completely.

The Doctor lifted the other women and placed them on the teleporter. They too went to the hospital for treatment. Just as he was getting ready to re-route the device for the TARDIS coordinates, the door slammed open.

"Rose, get behind me!" Rose looked ready to protest until she saw the fire, the burning heat, in his eyes. She did as she was told and watched as he hurriedly twisted two wires about then attached them to his sonic screwdriver.

"Now then, I know you are the Kanpo-salmenta and you trade people for money." He paused, watching as the two traders stepped in the door. They were odd creature with inhumanly tall bodies and pointy features. Their teeth were razor sharp and the air around them seemed to smell of sulfar and hot ash. Their heads were covered in inky black feathers instead of hair and their skin was an obnoxious shade of bright red. "And, even though I _really, really_ don't want to, I'm going to offer you a chance to stop what you're doing and just leave." The Doctor's breathing was heavy, his head filling with thoughts of what he'd do to them if they didn't take their chance to run. After all, they'd hurt Rose.

The two creatures glanced at each other before bursting out into barks of laughter. Their voices were deep and velvety, a complete paradox to their sharp appearance.

"I don't think so, tiny man."

The Doctor shrugged, as if unaffected, and pressed his sonic screwdriver.

The two aliens disappeared, shock written all over their faces as they faded.

Rose let out a loud exhalation. "Doctor… Where'd you send them?" He didn't respond. "Doctor, tell me."

He still didn't look at her. "They're inside a collapsing sun, burning up." Rose blinked, unsure of what to say. "You see, Rose," he turned to face her, "I have no mercy on those who hurt you."

At that, she remembered the throbbing pain in her leg which adrenaline and fear had staved off. She looked down to see the huge red area and grimaced while swallowing thickly. It looked absolutely disgusting, and the meaning was even worse. And the fact that thousands of other people out there bore the same marking… It terrified her; made her a bit scared of the future.

"Let's get you into the infirmary, alright?" Rose nodded and stepped painfully onto the transporter which the Doctor methodically routed to the TARDIS' location. Once all the wires were in place, he stepped on next to her and they disappeared. His hand was on her arm, both for balance and comfort.

The Doctor sat her down on a cot and gently rolled up her shorts so the brand was visible. He took a seat on a doctor's chair and began to inspect the burn. Rose flinched and he murmured an apology. He took out his sonic screwdriver and held it over the burn before looking at the results.

He grimaced, and then schooled his features in hopes that Rose had missed his look of cheerlessness.

"What is it?" Her voice was resigned, as if she already knew what he was going to say. He ignored her for a tic and flitted about getting the supplies he'd need.

"I'm sorry Rose, but no matter how many times we try to remove it, we can't. They used a poison to set it into the skin. The best I can do is heal the skin around it with the dermal regenerator." She nodded dully. "And I can't give you anything to numb it… It might mess with the poison and we don't want that." She nodded again and he placed his hand on her thigh, just below the mark. This would hurt, even if only for a few seconds. He flicked on the switch and Rose thrashed against him, trying to pull away. He heard the small sound of pain that bubbled to her lips and closed his eyes to keep from tearing up. Her pain… It caused him pain as well.

He pulled the device back and saw that the surrounding skin was free from blisters. All that was left were the thin lines of the brand. The Doctor breathed in deeply and looked up at Rose. Her misty eyes were fixed on the mark.

"I've got the sign of a prostitute, a slave, on me."

"That may be, but you are nothing of the sort." He said passionately. "Not my Rose Tyler, not in all the time in existence. You'll never _ever_ be someone's slave."

"Yeah, but it's still there. And there's still people who _are_ slaves…" She looked up and he saw the hot tears that welled in her eyes. Her face scrunched up in pain and her fingernails scratched at the mark as if the action would make the mark disappear.

"Rose! Rose, calm down." He caught her hands and held them in his. She let out a loud sob and bowed her head. "Oh, Rose." The Doctor stood from his chair and stepped between her legs to wrap his arms around her. She clung onto him, her fingernails digging into his back and her legs locking around his waist as if he was the only thing keeping her from drifting off. He held her back just as fiercely, his face pressed to her hair and his eyelashes wet with tears he wouldn't allow to fall. After all, Rose wouldn't want him to cry over her.

Her body shook in silent pain and tears soaked his shirt right through. But the Doctor didn't mind in the least. He let himself take in the feeling of her, the warmth and her pure human-ness. He wished that she was like him, one of his people, so that he could take her pain from her. He didn't want her to feel this.

He'd only ever wanted to show her the best of the universe. But sometimes things like this happened and she saw the scary parts, the parts he wanted to hide from her.

Long moments passed until Rose finally stopped crying. She still clung to him, her grip loosening slowly.

"I'm sorry…" She took a deep, shuddering breath, "I'm overreacting. It's just a mark."

"Yes it is." He agreed and then wondered why, even when she was in his arms and so completely in need of those words, he couldn't say them. Why couldn't he tell her that she was beautiful no matter what the mark signified?

Because he was a coward.

An undeserving coward.


	4. Do You Comfort Her?

Author's Note: Sorry about the wait for this one. Also, it's still unbeta'd, so forgive any mistakes and feel free to point them out to me.

_How Do You Make a Woman Believe She's Beautiful?_

_Chapter 4 – Do You Comfort Her?_

"Here we are, Rose!" The Doctor bounces around the console to look at the screen. He frowns when he notices that there is no name listed for the planet they landed on. That was strange… But no matter; odder things have happened than a nameless location.

"And where is 'here'?" Rose pulls on her beanie and joins him in front of the door.

"It has no name! It's called 'the Unknown Planet'!" The Doctor frowned then, "that seems a bit redundant because I guess that's its name now... No matter." With that, he pushes open the door and reveals a dark, smoky sky and a ground dented with multiple crater-like impact marks. The Doctor frowns again, getting an odd vibe from the air. He sticks his tongue out and ignores the amused smile Rose gives him. "Tastes like…" He smacks his lips, "dust and antimatter particles." Rose cocks an eyebrow but doesn't question him. She knows better than to even bother asking how he found that out from sticking his tongue out like a child.

"Well that's great." She paused. "What does that mean?"

The Doctor reached for her hand and grinned, the two of them beginning their journey forward.

"It means that things are about to get interesting." He tugged her onward and she followed willingly.

They trudged on until they came upon a single farmhouse in the middle of a barren field. There were craters riddled on the ground and rubble covering everything. The foundation of some of the demolished buildings still stood; basements became gaping chasms in the ground. Toys, cans, and bits of cloth mingled amongst bits of rock and brick to make colorful piles of debris.

The two travelers looked about the morbid scene with a sense of resigned curiosity.

The Doctor tore his eyes from it and looked down to Rose. She was frowning. And since he hated to see her frown, he pulled her along to see if the planet had anything else to offer other them than sadness. A few planes flew overhead and the Doctor cast them a wary glance. Rose's fingers clutched tightly to his as if she had read his mind, and the pair made on walking.

A derelict farmhouse came into view and the Doctor walked onto the porch. Right as he moved toward the door, it swung open and a man in brown urged them with a wave of his arms.

"Ya two ref'gees?" The Doctor and Rose shared a look before nodding. They were ushered into a large gathering room where groups of people were huddled together. Women were sewing; men were gathering around drawing boards and shuffling papers like regular strategists, while children were playing with each other quietly.

The Doctor looked up to the sky from a window to the north and saw that the planes above them were just passing over them.

"I'm sorry… But what's with the planes?"

A few of the men turned to look at him, their faces haughty. Someone in the back snorted a laugh and covered it with a well placed cough.

"We're at war," someone piped in.

The Doctor nodded. Well that much was obvious. An idiot could see that with the decrepit landscape and old house full of refugees. "Alright… Then shouldn't the planes be _attacking_ you?"

"Well they can't see us, obviously," a tall man said. He wore a heavy cloak in a taupe shade which had a brass clasp and his shirt beneath that was a starched white. He seemed to be in charge. The men behind him, presumably his soldiers, snickered amongst themselves before getting back to their papers.

"Yes, but why not?" The Doctor walked around, his sonic screwdriver out as he scanned the pieces of equipment lying about the room. He frowned before realization dawned on his features. "Oh! That's brilliant! A sentential cloaking device! It hides the house to those who mean it harm!" The Doctor turned to Rose, "Fantastic." He flashed a grin reminiscent of his previous regeneration and she stifled a laugh behind her hand.

A few of the men looked at him in awe and put down their documents in favor of watching what he would do next. The boss man, Mr. Cloak-and-obsessively-clean-shirt didn't lose his superior aura; instead he became even more arrogant looking.

"Oh, so we have an intelligent refugee?" Many of the people behind him recoiled in indignity, even a few of the soldiers.

"Ah, I'm not really a refugee." The soldiers picked up their guns and pointed them at him, thinking that he was about to declare himself a spy or something.

"Oi, put those things away. You could hurt someone." A handful of them lowered their weapons (the ones who looked at the Doctor like he was their hero), while the others merely steadied theirs.

"Then who are you?" Mr. Clean Shirt asked, stepping forward.

"I'm the Doctor." He reached out for Rose and she clasped her hand in his. "And this is Rose." The soldiers lowered their guns in favor of Rose. She snorted to herself - great, a group of sexist men who wouldn't point a weapon at a woman. Ah, well, she could use that in her favor.

"A doctor of what?"

"Oh, this and that. Ooh, this and that, this'n'that. I like the sound of that." Rose merely looked at him bemusedly while the room's other inhabitants gazed at him like he was a loon.

"Then can you help this boy? We ran out of supplies and he's hurt." A young looking soldier stepped forward, not heeding Mr. Clean Shirt's motions to stay back.

A small boy of about eight stepped forward and the Doctor knelt down to meet his eyes. "What's your name?"

"Eleazer, sir."

The Doctor smiled, "Ah, no 'sir', just 'Doctor'." Eleazer nodded. "Now, what's wrong with you, Eleazer?"

The boy put out his arm to reveal a deep looking cut peeking out from underneath a crude cloth bandage.

"Rose, hand me some sterile and gauze, please." Rose reached into her pockets (now transdimensional, just like the Doctor's) and pulled out a small first aid bag. She handed the whole bag to the Doctor and knelt next to him in front of Eleazer.

"Hello, sweetheart." She smiled at him and the boy smiled back, his pearly teeth shining against his tan, dusty face. There was a smudge of dirt on his cheek and Rose unthinkingly wiped it away with the pad of her thumb. "Where's your mum?"

"She's dead. So's my dad."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She gave him a sad, conspiratorial smile, "My dad's dead, too." Eleazer gave a small, shy smile filled with child-like understanding. Rose traded a look with the Doctor who had out a small knife. She saw the look in his eye: he wanted her to distract the boy. "So, Eleazer, how old are you?"

"I'm eight. I'll be nine in two weeks." He looked excited, his green eyes flashing. He didn't even notice the small incision the Doctor made to reopen the infected cut. Sterile was dabbed on it and a thick wad of gauze was taped to his thin arm.

"There you go, Eleazer. Be careful not to hurt yourself again." The Doctor mussed up the boy's blonde curls and smiled indulgently as the boy brushed his hand away. Rose watched the fatherly gesture with disguised curiosity. He'd said he'd been a father before… But this was the first time she'd seen him act _fatherly._It was rather sweet and it warmed her, from the center of her heart to her toes. But she quelled that warmth because children were domestic and the Doctor would never want them, least of all with her.

The Doctor watched as Rose blinked quickly, her own hand settling on Eleazer's head. Her fingers knotted into the boy's locks and the child looked up at her, his nose wrinkled adorably. "Yes, miss?" The Doctor saw Rose smile at the boy's politeness.

"Call me Rose, sweetheart." The boy nodded and smiled; those shockingly white teeth once again on display.

"Okay, Rose." Another smile before Eleazer leaned in and gave her a quick hug around the middle, his features shy and unsure. Her heart warmed. Yes, children were usually right terrors, but this boy was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen.

Since her eyes were glued to the child, Rose completely missed the look of intense longing that crossed fleetingly over the Doctor's face.

As the Doctor went off with the soldiers, Rose mingled with the women and children. All the kids were oddly quiet and subdued; playing with their toys in near silence, their faces drawn. The women were all working hard at sewing and mending soldier's clothes. They too were quiet.

Rose watched the kids, Eleazer included. He seemed to be the most exuberant of the lot, talking with the other kids. A small frown creased his brow when none of his companions responded to him. He picked up a book and moved to approach her, his movements hesitant – like he was unsure if he was allowed to come to her.

"Rose?"

"Yes?" She saw him shifting from one foot to the other and smiled indulgently. The Doctor did the exact same thing when he was anxious to ask for something.

"Do you know how to read?" Rose nodded and Eleazer fidgeted with the edge of the book in his small hands. "Could you read to me?"

"Of course I can, sweetheart." Rose mussed up his hair and he laughed. She sat down on the ground and Eleazer plopped down next to her. As she started reading, he curled into her side.

The Doctor watched as one by one, the children left their toys to crowd around Rose as she read. Eleazer was half in her lap and a little girl had her head on Rose's shoulder, peering over to look at the page she was reading from. Even the women seemed to have slowed their sewing in favor of listening in. Rose's tone changed for each character, causing a few of the children to giggle.

"Your woman is learned?" Mr. Clean Shirt's tone was surprised and that set the Doctor's teeth on edge. It didn't matter how many places he goes, there is always one gender or race being undermined by another.

"She's brilliant."

The same young soldier who had asked the Doctor to help Eleazer stepped forward. "She is beautiful, too."

A muscle in his cheek twitched and he squinted. "So I've been told. Repeatedly."

"I'm Chaplin." The young soldier held out his hand and the Doctor shook it, noting the long and uncalloused fingers. Odd for a soldier. "Is the lady your wife?" Chaplin motioned to Rose with his soft hands.

The Doctor saw the way Chaplin looked at Rose, his eyes all soft and enraptured like she was a new star being born and not just a human woman. He found that he didn't like anyone but himself looking at her like that. And that's what prompted his response:

"Yes."

Chaplin actually looked surprised. "She has no ring."

"She, ah, lost it. We've been travelling about." The pause earned him a look of suspicion.

"You have no children?"

"No!" The Doctor spluttered, his hands moving from his pockets to rub at the back of his neck. "I mean, we haven't gotten to… _it._" Then he flushed, realizing what his wording implied. If he were to be married to her he would make sure to cause her pleasure. "I mean we've been travelling, like I said. It's not safe for Rose to be pregnant while we travel."

The words 'Rose' and 'pleasure' and 'pregnant' sent his mind astray. Yes, getting her pregnant would be quite pleasurable… She would look gorgeous, slightly rounded and even softer than she already is. Her breasts heavier…

Ooh, there was his wandering mind again. He wasn't actually married to her. His thoughts shouldn't stray _there_. Because _there_ was a very nice place to be and he didn't deserve nice.

The day passed as well as it could in a war ravaged place. Horrid strategies were drawn up and the Doctor marveled at the impudence of this bunch of human men. They had attacks planned out for maximum kills of the other side and torture ideas for any prisoners who were to be captured. Seeing people like this, seeing _humans_ like this made him wonder why he even likes their race. Then he looks over at Rose reading to the innocent children and he remembers why he finds humans amazing.

Night fell over them, the windows darkened and candles put up. Flickers of golden light danced across the crumbling plaster and metal walls.

Rose offered to tuck the children in. At least four children were holding her hands like little leeches. She merely smiled down at them and said she'd read them one last book before they fell asleep. They all murmured quiet, sleepy little thanks to her which caused her smile to widen. Eleazer clung possessively to her right hand, his eyes warding off any other the other children who dared approach that hand.

Each child had their own bed with a thin mattress and even thinner pillow. Rose bit her lip to quell tears as she watched each child hunker into their uncomfortable beds. She read on until she saw that each of their little chests were moving in even, slow rhythms and their eyes were closed. Her hand moved on its own accord, brushing back the closest child's hair. She settled a kiss on each of their foreheads before turning to leave the room.

Rose closed the door quietly and turned, jumping as she noticed she was being watched. One of the soldiers the Doctor had been talking to earlier was standing near her, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"You are very good with them." The soldier complimented her with a slight smile.

"I have cousins I watch over back home." Rose said, wiping her palms over the front of her jeans before stuffing them in her pockets. They stood there for a moment. "And you are…?"

"I am Chaplin, ma'am." She cocked an eyebrow at being called 'ma'am' but didn't mention it.

"Nice to meet ya, Chaplin." The soldier nodded and grinned a boyish, sideways sort of smile that would've made her heart stutter years ago. Another man's boyish smile gave her that feeling now. A man who she hadn't seen or heard from in over an hour… "Do you know where the Doctor is?"

"He's in your room." Rose once again cocked an eyebrow.

Their room? As in they were _sharing_? The Doctor didn't like sharing. Whenever he could, he'd request separate rooms. Then again, this was a war refuge. There probably weren't enough rooms for him to have his own.

Chaplin began to walk and Rose followed him. They came to a door at the end of the hall. "This will be your room." She nodded gratefully.

"G'night."

"Goodnight, ma'am." And Chaplin was off, back down the hall and into the main room.

Rose opened the door slowly, not wanting to wake the Doctor if he had decided to actually sleep for once.

He wasn't asleep; instead he was sprawled in a chair with his reading glasses on and a book in his hands. He looked up as she entered and gave her smile. "How're the kids?"

Rose wrinkled her nose. "My God, that sounds domestic."

The Doctor flushed a bit and coughed into his hand. Rose realized what she'd said and blushed, too. There was an awkward, quiet moment between them where they both were completely unsure of what to say next. They both wondered when things between them had become so… _different_and uncomfortable.

"They're fine."

"Who?"

Rose gave him the look he used to give her in his previous regeneration, the you've-dribbled-down-your-shirt look. "The children. They're fine." She smiled and stepped closer, her fingers working at the zip of her hoodie. The garment slid off her arms and she cast it to the side, draping it over a high backed chair. "They love books, all of them. It's so sweet."

The Doctor nodded absently, looking for all the world that he was enraptured by his book. Instead, he was watching Rose out of the corner of his eye like some shy schoolboy who couldn't face his crush. As he took a moment to realize how _childish_and un-Time Lord-y he was being, he finally faced her. She was sitting on the bed and unlacing her shoelaces, her body hunched forward so that her hair fell over her shoulders in a golden curtain. The Doctor licked his lips absently and wondered what Rose would do if he just reached forward and pushed a few strands back.

Would she see his desire to do more in his eyes? Because she had this daunting ability to see right through him and it scared him at times.

Rose tugged absently at her shoelace and wondered why she'd tied it so tightly. She leaned forward more and completely missed the choked sound the Doctor made.

His eyes goggled just the slightest bit. The view was… wonderful, to say the least. The vintage scoop-necked t-shirt Rose was wearing slid down just the slightest but to show him even more of her breast than normal. Soft, pink-gold skin was on display and he found himself completely unable to look away. He watched avidly as she shucked off her shoes and stood to stretch. His eyes were still glued to her chest from behind his glasses which were slowly sliding down his nose. Young breasts jutted upwards as Rose moved her arms above her head and tilted slowly from one side to the other. Transfixed, he didn't even notice Rose's jeans were gone until he looked down and found her shimmying out of them.

"What are you doing?" The Doctor's voice was a higher pitch than normal as he watched her undress in front of him.

"I'm tired and I am _not_ sleeping in my jeans." Rose narrowed her eyes. "Is that a problem?"

The Doctor cleared his throat and shook his head. "Just didn't expect you to… spontaneously disrobe."

Rose snorted and rolled her eyes affectionately. She skittered off into the washroom, not knowing that the Doctor's eyes were still glued to her.

The flash of more thigh then he normally saw made him swallow convulsively. Rassilon, he was acting like a mere human man! He was no better than the silly little boys he mocked for being led around by their hormones and bits. But Rose made him so _human_. It was actually kind of freeing. While things between them weren't simple, what he wanted from her was so simple and natural and human. Watching her and hugging her felt like breathing despite his people's views on such fanciful things as the need for touch and emotions. The memories of that repression just melted away when he was with her. Rose made him feel like wanting things like relationships and connections and _closeness_ were alright and safe and good.

And right now what the Doctor wanted was her touch. He wanted warm, little human hands and soft curves. His fingers impulsively moved upwards as he tugged his tie lose and unbuttoned his suit jacket. He draped it the same chair where Rose had placed her jumper. He picked it up and brought it to his nose, breathing in the scent deeply. The clothing smelled a bit like spicy alien champagne which was odd but very inviting. The Doctor let a sigh escape his lips before he moved on with undressing. His shirt slid off his arms and he was left in a blue undershirt, his pinstriped trousers, and white shoes which he hastily unlaced and shoved under the chair. He debated for a moment whether or not to take off his trousers too, but decided against it. Feeling her bare legs against his would be too much.

Just as he began to slide into the surprisingly accommodating bed, Rose stepped out of the washroom. Her skin was free of makeup and pinked from warm water and soft scrubbing. For a moment he couldn't move, frozen in a crawl like a startled big cat.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked, her brow furrowing as she took in the sight of the Doctor slightly undressed and slipping into bed. He normally didn't bother removing clothing or even get into bed. He'd leave her to sleep whenever they shared a room.

"I'm actually feeling kind of tired. Thought I'd rest for a few hours."

'_Liar'_,' his mind said. He just wanted to touch her. But how could he phrase that without it coming out awkwardly? How about: _'Um… Rose, would you mind me putting my grubby, undeserving hands all over you?'_

No, that simply wouldn't do.

"Oh." Rose licked the inside of her lower lip and moved forward, determined to not make a fuss about sleeping with him. They'd done it before. Of course, that was back before he regenerated. She remembered how his previous body had felt next to hers, all cool and unyielding. Her mind wandered and she wondered how he felt now. Rose quickly diverted her thoughts, not letting them stray to places she _so wanted_to go.

So, she pulled up the covers and slid in next to him. Long moments passed, both of them stiff and on either side of the bed. It was as if a wall had been put up between them that neither was sure they were allowed to breach. Both wanted to open the door in that wall that led to the other, but shy hesitancy led them to delay from doing so.

Rose shifted and her hand accidentally brushed the Doctor's arm. "Sorry." Her voice was quiet.

"No." She frowned, unsure of what he meant by 'no'.

"Wha?"

"Come here." The Doctor reached for her, his arms open. Rose eyed him for a moment before sliding into his embrace. One of his arms draped over her waist and the other pillowed under her head. A human's arm would fall asleep after being in that position, but his nerves worked differently. He could quite comfortably hold her like that for hours. And that's what he wanted to do.

A quiet gasp escaped the Doctor when he felt something warm brush his arm just where it connected with his shoulder. He looked down and saw that Rose had nuzzled against that spot, her lips pressing against it. Her eyes met his, all dark cattish yellow, and his respiratory bypass system failed for what had to be the millionth time in her presence. A small smile fell over her lips and she relaxed against him, her eyes closed so all he could see were pale eyelids and thick, sooty lashes. His fingers moved to touch the place right next to her eye. He wondered why she bothered with all that mascara and other goopy stuff when she looked better without all of it. Her skin felt smooth under the pads of his fingers and he craved more of it.

But how to go about that?

The Doctor cupped her cheek and leaned forward the slightest bit. For a moment she thought he'd kiss her, and he did. Just not where she wanted to be kissed. His lips pressed softly to her temple and she could feel his exhalations against her skin, ruffling the hair just near her forehead.

They both fell asleep around the same time, their bodies moving even closer to each other during their rest.

When the Doctor woke Rose was still asleep. Her back was nestled against his chest along with the curve of her bum pressed right into his front. He breathed in slowly, tamping down on the reaction he knew would soon become _very_ noticeable. Thankfully, despite Rose making him feel human, he wasn't. By forcing his body temperature to lower, blood flow slowed and that got rid of his problem.

He was about to move his hand and stretch, when he noticed exactly where it was placed. The stiff peak of Rose's nipple was nudging against his palm. His fingers were spread over her right breast in a possessive grasp. He could quite literally feel the softness of her through the thin material of her shirt. Leaning in a listening to her even breaths, he determined that she was deep in sleep. He flexed his fingers, feeling the suppleness of her breast. Rose groaned quietly and the Doctor's hand shot away from her chest. He hid it behind his back like a guilty child who stole a sweet before supper. Then she burrowed closer to him, rubbing her bum right up against him. The Doctor hissed under his breath.

Even in sleep she knew how to get back at him.

The Doctor was no longer tired, but he didn't want to move. He wanted to stay there, right next to Rose and touch her freely while he had the chance. So he did. He hesitantly wrapped his arm back around her, this time below her breasts, and cuddled close to her. Rose hummed in her sleep and rolled over, seeming to sense his need to see her as well as touch her. Her face was peaceful and her hair was a bit of a mess around her, but he found that he loved the mess.

It endeared her to him.

A man came running in, sweat dripping from his hair and finding its way into his eyes. He blinked rapidly.

"Sir! News!" Mr. Clean Shirt stepped forward, not making a move to assist the man. Chaplin did, though. He brought a wet towel and a glass of water to the man. The man took them both gratefully and downed the water in one, monstrous gulp. He buried his face in the towel before standing up straight and saluting to Mr. Clean Shirt.

"Sir, our informant has told me that _the others_ plan to attack!"

And suddenly the whole room was a flurry. Papers were thrown about, orders were given, and the women gathered the children up. Rose stood up quickly, her eyes darting to the Doctor, unsure of what to do. They shared a look that could only be described by an outsider as reluctant excitement. They thrived on this kind of chaos.

Mr. Clean Shirt huddled in with his soldiers while Chaplin broke free from the group. He kneeled down next to the children and Rose. "You need to go through the tunnels." He helped Rose up with a slow smile and the Doctor fisted his hands tightly.

Chaplin urged the children up along with the women. They trailed down a set of stairs that presumably led to the tunnels. Rose, whose hand was still held hostage by Chaplin's, tugged away firmly.

"I'm staying with the Doctor."

"Your husband?" Chaplin asked, his voice calmly inquiring.

"My-," Rose turned to look at the Doctor and saw that his eyes were wide and urging, "Yes… he's my husband." The Doctor swallowed at the faint look on Rose's face, like she couldn't quite believe he'd said they were married. He didn't blame her. He usually discouraged such attachments, even if they were pseudo ones.

Chaplin nodded, looking a bit crestfallen.

Eleazer came running from the line up of children. He clutched onto Rose's legs, his chin jutting against her hip. "I don't want to leave you." Rose knelt down next to the boy who had tears in his green eyes. She gently used her thumb to catch the salty drops of water on his thick, flaxen lashes. "All the other kids have their mums with them." Eleazer's gaze became shy. Rose bit her lip a little, her eyes darting to the Doctor's before meeting Eleazer's once more.

"You can stay with me if you'd like." The boy nodded furiously and kissed her cheek bashfully. Rose smiled and picked him up and let him perch on her hip. She made her way over to the Doctor who looked like he was ready to try and escape. Her hand found his, leaving him incapable of swanning off. "We're _married_?" She asked, her eyebrow quirked.

The Doctor cleared his throat and nodded. "I had to make sure they gave us one room together. Some of the soldiers are a bit… shifty." '_Chaplin'_, his mind noted. Although the shifty soldiers weren't his real reason for saying they were married, it was a good enough excuse to tell Rose. He didn't want her to know that he was jealous and wanted her to himself. He'd tell her that someday; now was not the time.

The Doctor absently wondered when that time would be.

The women and children were all evacuated to a bomb shelter miles away and underground.

The soldiers were all a rattled mess, moving from one table to the next, adjusting weapons and what not. The Doctor stood off to the side, unwilling to be a part of the murdering that was to come. And for all he knew these '_Others'_ as the soldiers had put it were innocent teddy bears or mutated children or whatever. Far be it from him to kill mutated children and fluffy, cuddly creatures.

Eleazer was currently clutching at a book, his brow furrowed as he mouthed the words before him. The Doctor found himself wondering what it would be like to have a child around to teach and guide. And Rose… Rose would be a wonderful mum.

He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking things like that, especially now.

Rose was about, staying out of the soldiers' way while surreptitiously gathering information like a professional. Chaplin was following her as she moved around the room, his face like that of an eager puppy following its master.

The Doctor felt a bit of sneer tug at his lip before he realized, with noted horror, that he was the exact same way. Wherever Rose went, he went. He'd follow that human girl to the ends of the universe and back a thousand times over. She practically held him on a leash. But the great thing about Rose was that she never took advantage of the fact that she had one of the most powerful beings in the universe ready to bend to her every whim.

The Doctor was jarred from his thoughts as Eleazer walked up to him and tugged on his coat, a very serious little frown gracing his face. "Yes?" The Doctor arched an eyebrow at the boy who was pushing his curly hair out of his eyes with a slightly pudgy, childish hand.

"Can I go down and play?" He nodded and the boy began to dart off. His hand caught Eleazer's bony shoulder.

"Be careful, okay?" The boy nodded, his jade eyes bright before he scampered off.

The room fell to a dull hum and the Doctor noticed Rose making her way to him. She'd somehow shaken off Chaplin and wore a slightly mysterious Mona Lisa-esque smile on her lips.

"Chaplin doesn't seem to understand that I'm a married woman." Rose paused, "Why exactly are we married?"

He sniffed and rubbed his jaw. "We were _really_drunk." Rose hit his arm and rolled her eyes.

"No, really. Why?" She looked up at him with large imploring eyes and his mind was screaming at him. Half was saying, _'danger, danger!'_, while the other half said, _'here's a chance. Take it, imbecile.'_

His mind and mouth couldn't seem to agree with each other at all, because he said, "Like I said, some of the soldiers seem shifty. I just wanted you to be safe."

Rose nodded, but he could see the disappointment in her eyes. It made him dislike himself a little more than he already did. The Doctor wondered why he couldn't just _say_ the important things that popped into his head. He'd blurt about particle physics; never the stuff that needed to be said, or the things she deserved to hear.

"We should probably get out of here soon," Rose looked confused and he went on, "There's nothing I can do to help these people." The Doctor hated telling her that, but sometimes it was true. Sometimes there truly was nothing he could do to aid people even if they deserved it. He didn't even know the name of the planet they were on, let alone its history. Lest he bring on Reapers, they had to back out soon.

Rose looked resigned. "Alright. Just… Just let me say goodbye to Eleazer?" She bit her lower lip and looked up at him and he found himself nodding dumbly, unsure of what she'd even said.

The deafening sound of metal crunching against rock had the Doctor yanking Rose back to him, holding her closely, his chin over her head and his hands protecting the back of her skull. He could feel the land beneath his feet shaking; hear the soldiers screaming orders and rock falling.

When it felt like things had settled, he pulled back, his hands still firmly behind Rose's head. She looked up at him, panicked. His eyes roved over her restlessly, not even acknowledging the chaos and terror going on around them.

"I'm fine," She said, her voice louder than normal. That was normal; her hearing was probably smarting from the loud sounds.

The Doctor nodded, but startled when Rose suddenly wrenched from his grasp.

"Eleazer!" She ran down the steps to the tunnel and he tore after her, knowing that the ground was highly unstable.

He saw where the tunnel had collapsed about three meters in and looked down to see Rose was on her knees, dislodging rocks and flinging them behind her. For a moment he was unsure of what to do; he felt helpless. Then, as he saw her body shaking, he moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, trying to still her.

"Rose…" She bowed her head further, her hands still picking at the rocks. The Doctor could see where her palms were already beginning to scratch up from the sharp edges of the rocks. And, seeing as she had no intention stopping, he began to help her. He didn't voice his thoughts of how the search was pointless. There was no way Eleazer was going to make it through that.

"Oi, can we have some help here?" The Doctor called up to the soldiers and a few joined them, Chaplin included. They each wore a grim look on their face, all of them knowing that there was no way Eleazer was going to make it. Blessedly, none of them uttered a word of their thoughts and began to help move rocks.

One man gasped quietly and the Doctor looked over to see him uncovering a very injured arm. The man looked to the Doctor, unsure if he wanted his 'wife' to see the boy in such a state.

The Doctor nodded and gently touched Rose's shoulder. She looked at him and he motioned towards the arm.

Rose moved towards the arm, clasping the hand in hers briefly, before beginning to carefully remove rocks from the top of the pile. The soldiers followed suit, working quietly and efficiently beside her.

It took what felt like hours for them to safely move the rubble so they could free Eleazer's body. When the little boy was liberated, Rose fell back to her knees and hovered her cheek over his mouth to see if he was breathing.

Bright green eyes opened sluggishly, shocking everyone, and the Doctor could see Rose stifling a sob.

"Hello, sweetie." She brushed back his blood-matted curls and moved him into her lap. The boy closed his eyes again, seeming content where he was. The Doctor understood quite well how comfortable it was to be held by Rose Tyler.

"Hurts." Eleazer's voice was hoarse and Rose bit her lip, blinking heavily, and looked up at the ceiling, seemingly asking the gods _why_.

"I know it does, sweetheart. But you're doing an amazing job." She leaned down and kissed his forehead, breathing him in, not caring that he smelled of little boy sweat and blood. Underneath all that lingered innocence and the scent of _child_. Rose hummed quietly and stroked her thumb over his cheekbone.

Eleazer muttered something and Rose pulled back so she could hear him better.

"_Aingeal._"

The Doctor sucked in a breath through his teeth and looked away from his companion. He could hear the beating of Eleazer's heart slow and see his timeline ending right before his eyes.

"Oh, sweet boy." Rose pressed one last kiss to Eleazer's face before standing shakily. The Doctor moved behind her to steady her and he could feel the tenseness that was right beneath her skin. "Can we go home?" She looked at him with blank, tired eyes and he nodded, leading her up the stairs, past the scrambling soldiers, and onto the fields.

They walked and by the time they reached the TARDIS it was dark and cold.

The Doctor shifted from one foot to the other as he leaned on the console. The Old Girl was droning tunelessly as he flitted about, wondering what to do.

Rose had walked into the TARDIS and left without a word. He hadn't followed and now he wondered if that had been a mistake.

The Doctor heard a noise and looked up to see Rose standing in the doorway wearing a large t-shirt, fuzzy socks, and her hair up in a messy ponytail. Her face was bare without makeup, her eye clogged with tears. She looked so small and vulnerable. He was unsure of what to do.

Did he deserve to comfort her?

He was, after all, the one who sent Eleazer down into the tunnels to play while there was a war going on. If he hadn't done that Rose would be playing around with a smiling little boy and reading him stories.

"I'm so sorry, Rose." Her lip trembled and she brought her hand to her mouth to stop the sobbing. The Doctor stepped closer and enfolded her in his arms. She trembled and clutched at the back of his suit, pulling the material tightly.

"He was just a boy!" She sobbed, "Just a beautiful little boy!"

And the Doctor agreed with her.

And, he wanted to tell her that he finds her to be so beautiful because she's so empathetic. It just makes her all the more attractive to him, the fact that she's so human.

But he couldn't seem to form the words, so he just held her tightly and pressed kisses to her temple as she cried her single human heart out over the little boy she'd came to love.


	5. Do You Give Her Flowers?

Author's Note: I recommend listening to the song 'Fleeting Instant' by Delerium ft. Kristy Hawkshaw. The next chapter should be the last unless something crops up. It also may be rated M.

_How Do You Make a Woman Believe She's Beautiful?_

_Chapter 5 – Do You Give Her Flowers?_

Honestly, it seemed like these things only happened to him.

They'd gone to the planet of Askok usainak. It was a greenhouse planet where every flower within the galaxy was grown. He'd thought it would be perfect; somewhere pretty, safe, and simple.

Rose had looked amazing (more so than usual) in a long skirt of dark blue and a fitting peasant style top in grain white. She'd taken to wearing longer shorts and skirts because of her brand. Sometimes he'd catch her staring at her thigh with a frown, like it was some sort of puzzle or something. But as long as she wasn't clawing at it, he didn't worry _too_ much.

Once they stepped out of the TARDIS, the scent of flowers hit them. It hung in the air like a visible mist of perfumes. Spores floated by their heads, fluffy and white like balls of cotton rather than seeds from an alien plant. The sky was gold and pink and filled with drifting spores of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

"This has to be magic," Rose said, her fingers twisting into the long reeds of soft grass that reached up to her hips. It was an odd shade of mauve with fuzzy hair-like fuzzies.

The Doctor was about to say that scientifically there could be no such thing as magic until he saw the look on her face.

It was love.

Love and awe.

And seeing those two emotions on her face roused something in him. It just shut him up for some reason, seeing that look on her face.

Her eyes had misted, but there was joy in them. "It's amazing," she breathed and stepped forward, the grass bending before her like servants to their mistress. Her sandaled feet sunk into the soft brown ground and she smiled to herself.

The Doctor felt faintly like he was intruding on a private moment when he saw her move about the grass. It was like she belonged there, an earth goddess in her meadow amongst her people. He breathed in deeply as she continued on without him, her whole being completely enamored with the planet and its unmoving, unspeaking life forms which now twined around her ankles like an adoring pet.

The tall purple grass bled into a meadow of even taller yellow flowers which resembled earth sunflowers except they had small red dots around the stigma. The scent in the air became muskier, like the scent of asphalt after a rainfall mixed with fresh, yeasty bread and dried herbs.

A few trees rose from the ground, their odd purple-brown roots thick. The leaves were as green as earth leaves. And then more trees came into his vision. Rose picked at one, her hand coming away filled with an orange fruit.

"Is this safe to eat?" She turned to him, her eyes wide and dark – such a stark contrast to the surroundings – and he found himself unsure of what she had even said.

He nodded absently.

She bit into the fruit and lapped quickly at the juice which beaded to the surface of the soft, plum-like skin. The flavor was saccharine – nearly too sweet for even her sugar loving palate. She took another bite and suddenly there was a pleasant spicy tang. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips clean before she took another bite, her feet moving onward into the forest, the Doctor behind her.

The Doctor moved slowly, letting Rose mingle in with the tall grasses and thickening trees. The bright sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, casting a gold and light blue shadow on everything beneath them. He touched a tree trunk fleetingly, feeling the rough and knotted surface before looking back up to Rose.

And his breath caught just the slightest bit.

The glow made her hair look dark and shiny. Her skin gleamed in the sparse lighting, all tan and healthy looking. Iridescent blue spores fell from the trees above. They floated downwards in spirals like leaves in an autumn wind. He watched as Rose reached out a hand and caught one. It shone blue before darting off her palm like a young bug. She gasped, unaware that they could move on their own.

He moved closer and took her still outstretched hand in his. Their fingers instinctively threaded together and Rose gave him an absent smile, her eyes still trained on the living, moving scene before her eyes.

"They're spores from the trees. This planet has some of the oldest plant life in the universe. It's where Jabe and her people originally came from. It's under a preservation pact now."

"You mean these trees used to be alive?" He nodded and she smiled brighter, her hand reaching out to caress a tree trunk. The leaves of the tree branch curled around her and she squealed in surprise.

"Ooh, I think they like you." Rose giggled as the leaves caressed her cheek. Her eyes moved up to meet his and he found his breath catching, his two hearts slowing and his binary vascular system protesting.

The words, they were on the tip of his tongue.

He was going to say them.

"Rose… I…" The Doctor moved his free hand up to play with a piece of her gold hair. He twisted it between his fingers and tried to gather up all the courage in his cowardly hearts. Because he was a coward for not doing this much earlier. He'd loved her since she said she wouldn't miss it (him) for the world. And that had been way back in Cardiff… their first time in Cardiff with Gelth and Charles Dickens.

His eyes moved from his feet to hers, tracking the lines of her shape before him.

Why was this so difficult?

His dark eyes darted to hers and all he saw was softness and compassion.

So _warm_. How could he dare _not_ tell her? After all the things she'd given him, done for him. Why could he not just buck up and say the words she deserved to hear?

He didn't know if he could look at her as he said it. There was so much forgiveness in her eyes for all the things he'd done; things she knew about and even the ones she didn't know of. He didn't deserve that.

"You know how you said you wouldn't miss this, _travelling_, for anything?" The Doctor saw her nod out of the corner of his eye which he kept fixed on their joined hands. "Well I, uh, wouldn't have missed it for anything either. Travelling with you has been amazing and you are-."

Rose screamed suddenly and her hand was wrenched from his. He leapt forward, trying to catch her before she hit the ground.

He was unable to.

Her back smacked against the soggy floor. Vines and branches twisted around her ankles and wrists as she struggled. Their green and yellow leaves rubbed against her, the bark chafing her skin. Thorns dug into her, causing blood to come to the surface and smear.

"Rose! Rose, calm down!" The Doctor said urgently.

"Calm down? I'm being dragged by a _plant_!" Her voice was panicked, but her body stopped thrashing. She knew to trust him. It was so instinctive and it made his body warm just the slightest bit.

"It's like in Harry Potter with the Devil's Snare… The more you move around, the more the vines take you in." He watched as she took a few deep breaths before stilling completely. The vines retracted, their leaves covered in Rose's blood.

He knelt down and helped her sit up before taking her hands and checking the injuries. Sharp little bristles were left behind in the wounds on her arms and legs. Beads of blood were on the surface of where each thorn stuck out. The Doctor bit his lip before standing and offering his hand to help Rose up. She took it gratefully, her eyes questioning.

"Just a pair of tweezers and the dermal regenerator and you'll be set to save the world in a few hours time." She nodded and winced as her tiny wounds twinged. The Doctor noticed and gave her an apologetic glance, his eyes guilty. "I'm sorry." Rose shook her head.

"'s not your fault. I shouldn'tve played around with an alien plant."

"I should've remembered that they liked humans for snacks."

Despite the pain, Rose rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, not everything is your fault." She stopped abruptly and the Doctor stayed by her side. Giving no regard to the little pricks of soreness, she reached her hand up to touch his face. Her fingers tilted his head towards her so she could see his eyes.

He, just like her first Doctor, was extremely expressive. All those emotions came through his eyes. It's just now they were a whiskey brown instead of steely and paradoxically warm blue. "Please believe me when I say 'tha this isn't your fault." Rose's hand moved from his cheek to his neck, cupping just under his jaw as her thumb strayed just the tiniest bit. "Not everything bad that happens to me or people around you is your fault. You _save_ people, Doctor. You make them better; you help them. 'An, sometimes, like the rest of us, you make a mistake." Her touch was soothing and her voice soft, "'An tha's okay. 'Jus… don't let everything rest on your shoulders. You don't deserve the guilt no matter what you've done in the past."

The Doctor pulled away and Rose worried that she'd upset him. But she hadn't.

Instead he stared at her, his eyes a bit glassy. His arms wrapped around her suddenly, pulling her into a tight embrace. Rose hugged his middle, her forehead resting against his shoulder. His hands couldn't seem to figure where to settle. One moment they were higher on her back, the next lower. Finally he pressed one to the small of her back and the other at the beginning of her spine, just under her neck. His fingers were moving in gentle circles and she could hear him murmuring something beneath his breath. It felt so warm and safe that Rose _nearly_ forgot about the pain from the nettles. The Doctor, as if sensing her discomfort, pulled back. His head hovered over hers for a moment before he bent a bit to kiss her forehead lingeringly – a benediction of sorts.

"Come on," he started, his voice oddly quiet, "let's get you back to the TARDIS and all patched up."

Rose felt his arm wrap around her waist, supporting her weakening ankles. He made sure not to touch her injured wrists, watching guiltily as the blood from each nettle spilled out and twisted around her thin wrist in a gruesome looking bracelet. Rose hobbled along, leaning heavily on him. She looked up to his face and saw the guilt as he stared at her wrists.

"You want to say it, don't you?"

The Doctor's eyes snapped up to hers.

How could she know what he wanted to say? Did she know what he'd been trying to get out only moments ago before he was interrupted by a plant?

"Well, I won't let you say sorry again. There's no need."

Oh, that. Well, he did want to say that too. But he wanted to say that L-word thing more than he wanted to say sorry.

"I won't say it."

"Promise?"

He nodded.

From her spot on the cot and his on the chair positioned between her legs, their heights were altered so that Rose was the taller one. The Doctor cradled her ankle in his hand gently, picking at one of the many thorns adorning it. He sighed as he put the fortieth thorn into a small metal dish to his right.

This was happening too often – Rose getting hurt or being in danger. She truly was jeopardy friendly.

And it scared him how vulnerable she was.

When she hissed suddenly the Doctor was pulled back to the present.

"Sorry." He said instinctively. Once he realized what he'd said he looked up at Rose guiltily. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I _apologize._" Rose snorted a laugh which, in the Doctor's opinion, was much better than her noises of pain. He picked at the last thorn and ran his thumb over her soft skin, trying to see if there were any left that weren't as visible. "Alright?" He asked quietly. Rose nodded and reached forward, touching his face gently.

"Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, Rose Tyler." She smiled slightly and leaned toward him somewhat hesitantly. The Doctor stilled when he felt her lips press against his cheek. Her human-warm breath tickled his skin and begged him to lean up and just _kiss her_.

He wondered why he couldn't just get his body to move that fraction of an inch so he could experience bliss.


End file.
